Children's Home run by Oakley House Children’s Home Limited in Staffordshire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 1 SC447457

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Registered provider: Oakley House Children’s Home Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for three children who have experienced childhood instability resulting in trauma and associated complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in December 2016 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

An assurance inspection was carried out on 14 February 2023. Serious and widespread concerns were identified. As a result, a compliance notice was issued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

This children’s home was judged requires improvement to be good at the full inspection on 2 and 3 May 2022. On 14 February 2023, Ofsted completed an assurance inspection at the home. The home was found to have serious and widespread concerns. Specifically, there were significant weaknesses with regards to the leadership and management in the home relating to how they keep children safe. As a result, Ofsted issued a compliance notice under regulation 13.

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The care of children

The purpose of this assurance inspection was to review the progress made against the compliance notice. The inspector found that the compliance notice in relation to regulation 13 had been met. The five requirements and three recommendations made at the last inspection were not considered and will be reviewed as part of the next inspection.

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The care of children

Since the last inspection, no children have lived in the home.

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The care of children

The manager has made vast improvements to the environment, and the home is now free from hazards. This is now a safe place for children to live.

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The care of children

The needs of children moving into the home have not been thoroughly considered by leaders and managers. The manager had not consulted all relevant people and met with the child prior to the child being offered a place at this home. The risk assessment lacks information about the child’s risks and how they will be safely managed. Furthermore, when the manager is considering placing new children in the home, impact assessments do not address the impact on existing children or on the new child. There has been a lack of evaluation of the potential impact of the needs, risks and behaviours of children moving into the home. The impact of this concern is lessened as the child has not yet moved into the home.

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The safety of children

Staff have received training to support and enhance their knowledge of supporting children’s behaviour and reflective practice. Further training in restraint is booked for May 2023 to upskill staff’s knowledge in this area.

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The safety of children

Children have risk management plans. Staff plan to use de-escalation techniques such as redirection and humour to support children. However, the physical intervention form does not include all the relevant information required under regulation 35. The manager addressed this shortfall during the inspection. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 3 Managers are clear about their responsibilities to protect children. Managers understand the child protection policy and know how to report a safeguarding concern. The manager has a system in place for recording, reporting and monitoring safeguarding concerns. Additionally, managers and staff now reflect on the depth of staff’s safeguarding knowledge in team meetings and supervision sessions.

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The safety of children

Risk assessments and care plans provide staff with clear direction and information to help them manage children’s complex behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager holds the appropriate level 5 qualification and has a good range of experience in residential care. She has been the manager of the home since it opened in December 2016. In March 2023, a service manager was appointed to support the development of the service and the quality of care delivered to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The manager has made improvements to their monitoring systems. The manager has implemented a new monthly audit system. This enables them to identify any shortfalls in the care that children receive and to be proactive in addressing them. Changes cannot yet be fully implemented and tested as children are not currently living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

All the staff hold the required level 3 diploma and relevant experience for the role. Staff are provided with a wide range of training that informs their practice and meets children’s individual and diverse needs. Staff have received further development sessions covering topics such as behaviour management and reflection. This ensures that staff can develop their knowledge and skills to care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Team meetings and staff supervision sessions take place regularly and are used as a place for reflection and learning. Important issues are tracked and discussed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The statement of purpose clearly demonstrates the aims and objectives of the home. This now includes a full update on the staff who work in the home. This helps parents or placing authorities to have a clear understanding of the service’s aims.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers are working well to establish relationships with the local police. This collaborative work has enabled a good partnership to develop so that children are protected from harm and are suitably placed. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/12/2021 Full Inadequate 19/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/05/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that they escalate their concerns to the relevant professionals.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated. 18 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those 18 June 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 6 expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff supporting children to explore their emotions and build positive relationships.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff ensuring they follow children’s risk assessments to keep children safe and that these are regularly reviewed and kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

It also relates to the registered manager and staff ensuring that they take effective action when there are serious concerns about children being at risk of harm. 18 June 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 7 This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(a)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring they use internal monitoring systems more effectively.

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Requirement Due date

Also, it refers to the registered manager ensuring that staff practice is consistent with the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated. 18 June 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(iii)) 18 June 2023 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 8 This particularly refers to the registered manager ensuring that children have a positive experience when moving in and on from the home.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff regularly review and update the child’s missing-from-care protocols. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 44, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should ensure that their review of the premises and all known local geographical information is reviewed and updated. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, pages 15, paragraph 3.9) Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oakley House Children’s Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit D, 17 Plumbers Row, London E1 1EQ

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Inspector

Marianne Grandfield, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC447457 10 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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